Two years ago, the zeroHouse hit the internet like a tornado. Now, Specht Harpman, the firm that designed the off-grid, modular, tiny house, is looking for a "visionary" to finance the construction of the prototype at something in the range of $300,000 to $350,000. The good news comes from the American-Statesman, which recently reported that the design is "shovel-ready."

Across the pond, a company called OfficePOD aims to change the way people work. The company provides pod-like office cubes to companies and individuals to facilitate flexible home/work arrangements. For the price of £14,950 ($24,400) plus installation and VAT, the company will set up the OfficePOD in about a day. The lead time for installation is less than 12 weeks, and lease options are available as well.

I imagine you've heard the news this week from LivingHomes' headquarters in Santa Monica. All LivingHomes, whether designed by Ray Kappe or KieranTimberlake, are now available throughout most of the United States. In addition, the company — a pioneer in green prefab — announced a new prefab home model designed by Ray Kappe and wood-frame construction on all Kappe LivingHomes.

Rocio Romero, the architect behind the LV series of prefab homes, just announced the availability of stackable prefabs. Referred to as the LV2 — a 2-story stack placed on any LV series unit, the custom add-on costs the same as regular LV series units. Rocio Romero has sold over a hundred LVs and says the average cost to build, including the kit, shipping, foundation, and finish costs, is about $120 per square foot (not including land).

Starting January 19 in the Las Vegas Convention Center, four modular demonstration homes will be on display for the International Builders’ Show 2010. All of the homes will qualify for the NAHB’s National Green Building Certification, and they’ll be smaller, too. One home in particular, The Osprey, caught my attention. The 523 square-foot home, perhaps, will be the greenest of all four models in the Show Village.

I first noticed this genuine weeHouse on Mrs. French's site last month (seehere, here, and here). The Oceanside Prefab, as it's know, is on a picturesque spot on the Oregon coast and available for rent should you have any interest. The home was assembled with two 14' x 50' modules by Stratford Homes and designed by none other than Alchemy Architects.